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Twice it's happened that panhandlers near Grand central lightly grabbed my arm to engage with me. I never made any eye contact with them to warrant this. They were persistent in trying to get my attention even making empty threats. I had to keep walking fast to the next intersection till they backed off.
There used to be aggressive panhandling in the 90's. Basically, some of them would walk with you for several blocks, be aggressive, and try to get you to give them money. Another tactic was for them to deliberately bump into you, drop something of value, and demand that you pay for it.
One way of dealing with this is to pretend to take a call on your cell phone. For some reason, people leave you alone if you are on the phone. Before the cell phone days, I used to go into a store or walk out into the street into traffic to lose the guy. Better not to escalate the situation given the legal and cultural environment.
The threat was to beat me up . There was nothing beyond lightly grabbing my arm.
Thanks for the link, I've reported the incident there.
Yeah, I just see New York's finest rushing to arrest this guy, sirens blazing. Walking into a store would work, not sure about picking up a cell phone that didn't ring.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Normally, and in our city, I would call the cops, take a picture of the person and they would come out and arrest him for assault. Now, especially in any big city, there is no way the police would get involved in that. If that seems common, best carry a pepper spray and use it.
Yeah, I just see New York's finest rushing to arrest this guy, sirens blazing. Walking into a store would work, not sure about picking up a cell phone that didn't ring.
Yup, got some boilerplate response an hour after I submitted the report that said:
Quote:
NYPD provided the following information:
The Police Department responded to the complaint and with the information available observed no evidence of the violation at that time.
PLEASE CALL BACK IF THERE IS ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.
Yeah, I just see New York's finest rushing to arrest this guy, sirens blazing. Walking into a store would work, not sure about picking up a cell phone that didn't ring.
Plenty of people keep the ringer on silent but could feel the buzz when it vibrates in their pocket or bag. It's acceptable to pretend to answer a phone that doesn't ring. At least it's worth a try. I know someone who pretends to answer her phone in anticipation of being bothered by people, either people trying to sell something or anyone with a clipboard.
”The Police Department responded to the complaint and with the information available observed no evidence of the violation at that time.”
Ahahah, ol' NYPD working hard to earn those fat paychecks. Odds they even went out there, basically zero.
As a woman, you get accustomed to having to deal with unwanted touch (not just on the city street, anywhere). Me, personally, I yell and yank away. However, I do adjust for circumstances. I'm not going to yell at another woman--at least, not as a first step. Or some gnarled little old man. But most of the time, it's a regular adult guy, in which case, it's ”Hey hey HEY, WHAT are you doing....GET YOUR ****ING HANDS OFF ME.” I'm polite to panhandlers; I return their greetings if they speak to me on the street. But I don't let myself be intimidated. Had someone try that on last Christmas, of all times. I felt bad about it, but I'm not okay with some guy standing over me while I'm sitting down trying to get my money. (I had actually just given the last of my cash to a guy standing outside the bodega across the street, even.)
(Oh, but I don't call the cops for anything short of actual assault. (a) They don't do ****; (b) I don't want to be responsible for some street person getting murdered just for grabbing my arm.)
What would like the cops to do because someone touched your arm? Give me a break.
Cops are to be called for actual crimes. That's the problem. People think cops are there as their personal bodyguards. And yes I know YOU don't call the cops for such nonsense, but there are people that think the cops should RUN to "save them" from a non-crime. Comical.
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Walking into a store would work, not sure about picking up a cell phone that didn't ring.
Give me a break. 
And yes I know YOU don't call the cops for such nonsense, but there are people that think the cops should RUN to "save them" from a non-crime. Comical.
